Brake mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. v

No Model.)

B. WOLHAUPTER. BRAKE MECHANISM.

No. 590,446. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

-C 0 '0' I J? M o I O f A P G] M o I O M12153 INVENTOR- Am #7 WW a fi.

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. WOLHAUPTER' BRAKE MECHANISM.

No. 590,446. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

WITNESSES INVENTUR C. 4 {MW mus PETER comm-nan no.w

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN \VOLHAUPTER, OF MORGAN PARK, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,446, dated S p mber21, 1897.

Application filed December 22 1893. Serial No. 494,412. (No model.)

To (all 1071,0111, it may solace/'1 Be it known that I, BENJAMINWOLHAUP- TER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing atMorgan Park, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Brake Mechanism; and I declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object the production of mechanism which shallbe an improvement on the apparatus shown and described in United StatesPatent No. 414,108, dated October 29, 1889. In the use of the apparatusthere described there have been found certain defects, as follows: It iswell known that the brake-beam levers as they are commercially appliedto cars at the present time are in a diagonal or inclined position withrespect to the brake-beam itself, or, in other words, the brake-beamlever is neither parallel with the brake-beam nor does it cross it atright angles. The reasons for that inclin ing the brake-beam levers aretoo well known to need discussion here. With this standard brake-beamlever in order to get a direct pull from the end of this lever to thelever which lifts the car it is necessary to throw this lifting-lever toone side of the truck, and thus when the lever exerts its power to liftthe car it is lifting one side of the load and not the center of theload, which, for obvious reasons, is objectionable. Again, in theconstruction set forth in the above-named patent in order tosuccessfully lift the load a much greater lifting power must be appliedto the liftinglever than can be applied to the brake-rod unless eitherthe standard ratio of leveragearms of the brake-levers be altered or thepower-arm of the lifting-lever be made so long that it would beimpracticable. Both of these alternatives are objectionable, because itis neither desirable to alter the ratio of the leverage-arms nor is itdesirable to make the power-arm of the lifting-lever extremely long, asit would then be impossible to get a direct pull on it and it would alsobe in the way.

Therefore in order that the increased leverage may be applied at thelifting-lever without making the latter out of proportion and in orderthat the ratio of the lever-arms in the brake-beam levers may remain thesame and in order that a direct pull may be exerted upon thelifting-lever and still have the latter adjacent to or at the center ofthe load I provide beyond the last brake-beam lever, or, in other words,between the brake-beam lever and the lifting-lever,an additional lever.The advantage of this lever in addition to overcoming the effects aboveenumerated will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of Y a car-truck andaccompanying mechanism,

illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Figs. 3-and 4 areenlarged details. Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of the lifting-lever. Fig.6 is an edge elevation of a variation, showing a different form ofliftinglever. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6,and Fig. Sis an end elevation thereof.

In carrying out the invention, A-represents the car-bolster; B, thetruck-bolster; O, the axles; D, the wheels; E, the brake-beams; F F,thebrake-beam levers; G, the brakerod, extending from the power to thebrakebeam lever F, and II the rod connecting one brake-beam lever withthe other.

J is what may be termed the lifting-lever, acting, as in the above-namedpatent, to lift the car and its load when sufficient power has beenapplied to the brake-rod G. This lifting-lever, as shown in Figs. 3 and4., is pivoted to the casting or block K, which is in turn secured toand supported by thecarbolster A. On each side of the lever J is ann-shaped projection is, and in the block K on each side is a pocketshaped to receive the projection, thus fulcruming the lever J in theblock K. The weight-arm j of the liftinglever bears upon the inverted- U-shaped piece M, which in turn extends down to and bears upon the plateM on the truck-bolster B. This inverted-U -shaped piece, as will beseen,

straddles the king-bolt M so that when the power is applied to thepower-arm j of the lifting-lever the weight-arm j, bearing directly uponthe inverted- U-shaped piece, will pry the car-bolster and thetruck-bolster apart.

N is a lever fulerumed, as shown in Fig. 1, at n to the truck-bolster,the opposite end of the lever being connected by the rod P to thebrake-beam lever F. The end of.the powerarm j of the lifting-lever Jenters or is connected to this lever N substantially at the middlethereof. It may enter and pass through the lever N, as shown in Fig. 3,or it might be connected with the lever N in any suitable manner. Thusit will be seen that when a pull is exerted upon the brake-rod and istransmitted through the brake-lever F, through the rod H, and throughthe brakebeam lever F to the rod P the pull on the rod P will throughthe lever N be exerted upon the lifting-lever 'J. Now it is obvious thatby making the fulcrum-point n of the lever N adjustable the leverage onthe lifting-lever may be increased or diminished to suit the exigenciesof each particular case. So, also, it will be seen that if inclinedbrake-beam levers are used, as is usually the case, a direct pull can beobtained from the end of the brake-beam lever F to the lever P, and thusa direct pull be exerted upon the lifting-lever, and yet at the sametime having the liftinglever at or substantially at themiddle of the carand truck bolster, and thus have the lifting power exerted upon thecenter of the load. On Sheet 2 I have shown a variation in the form ofthe lifting-levers, using inthis case cam-levers to pry the truckand carapart, and in this case using two lifting devices for each trucksituated equally dist-ant on either side of the center plate orking-bolt. In the construction 011 Sheet 2, as in the other case, Nrepresents the extra lever, and P the rod, extending from the lastbrake-beam lever to the extra lever. In this case the lever I isfulcrumed at n to the truck-bolster. It is obvious that it might also befulcrumed to the car-bolster, if desired- Extending from the end 01 ofthe lever N is a rod Q, the end of which is pivoted to a lifting-leverIt. Extending from the lever N at n is a rod Q, pivoted to the end ofanother lever R. These levers R R are arranged in any suitable manner,so that when tilted they will pry the truck and car apart. Thisconstruct-ion, as will be seen, is substantially the same as that shownon Sheet 1, the difference being that in the latter construction thereis a single lifting-lever, while in this construction there are two, oneon each side of the center plate, and also in the construction on Sheet1 the lever N is fulcrumed at one end, while in this case the lever N isextended beyond the fulcrum -point and another lifting device attachedthereto. The advantages of a supplemental or extra lever such as I haveshown and described are obvious. In the first place, they overcome theobjections to the construction set forth in the above-mentioned patent.In the second place, they provide a means whereby adjustments ofleverage may be easily and quickly made.

WhatI claim isv 1. In a brake mechanism the combinatio with thebrake-levers and the connection- V rods, and a lifting-lever arranged tolift the car-body, of a lever beyond the last brakelever of the systemand to which said last brake-lever and the lifting-lever are connected,substantially as described.

' 2. In a brake mechanism the combination with the brake-lever, theconnecting brakerods and a lever arranged to lift the car-body andforming a fulcrum for the brake-lever of an extra lever located betweensaid brakelever and the lifting-lever and forming the connection for thetwo, substantially as described.

3. In a brake mechanism the combination with the brake-lever and theaccompanying connecting-rods and a lever arranged to lift the car-bodyof an extra lever fulcrumed to a stationary portion to which saidbrake-lever and the lifting-lever are connected, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a brake mechanism the combination with the brake-lever and thelifting-lever of an extra lever to which both the brake-lever andlifting-lever are connected the leverage length of the arms of saidextra lever being adjustable or variable, substantially as described.

5. In a brake mechanism the combination with the brake-lever and thelifting-lever arranged to lift the car-body, of an extra leveradjustably fulcrumed to a stationary portion, both the brake-lever andthe lifting-lever connected to said extra lever, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a brake mechanism the combination with the brake-lever and theaccompanying connecting-rods and a lifting-lever arranged to lift thecar-body of an extra lever fulcrumed to a stationary portion, one end ofsaid lever connected to the brake-lever, and

the lifting-lever engaged to said extra lever at a point between itsfulcrum and the connection with the brake-lever, substantially asdescribed.

7. In abrak-e mechanism the combination with the brake-lever and theaccompanying connecting-rods and a bell-crank lever arranged to pry thecar and truck apart, ofan 8. In a brake mechanism the combination withthe mechanism arrangedto set the brakes of a bell-crank lever located insaid braking mechanism, the weight-arm of said bell-crank lever adaptedto bear directly upon the inverted-U shaped piece which bears upon thetruck-bolster, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a brake mechanism the combination with the mechanism arranged toset the brakes of abell-crank lever located in said braking mechanism,said bell-crank lever fulcrumed 1n a block secured to-and supported bythe car-transom and adapted to piece extending to the truck-transom,subbear directly on a piece extending from the stantially as described.10 truck-transom, substantially as described. In testimony whereof Isign this specifica- 10. In a brake mechanism the combination tion inthe presence of two witnesses. 5 with the block K on the car-transom ofthe BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER.

lever J fulcrumed in said block by the pro- Witnesses: jections isentering recesses k in the block, 0. J. SHIPLEY,

the weight-arm of said lever bearing on a \VALTER H. OHAMBERLIN.

